Wistful Remembrance (Wattys 2014 HQ Love Award Winner!)

11. Me, Snooping? I Don't Know What You're Talking About...

Chapter 11

Me, Snooping?  I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About…

 

 

The two people standing in the foyer the next morning were Anna and Hattie Devereaux, Stella’s cousins, who came all the way from their home in Atlanta.  Anna was a tall blond wearing a flower print dress and Hattie, looking almost identical to her sister, only a little over ten years younger, was dressed in a t-shirt and jean shorts, similar to what I was wearing. 

“What are you guys doing here?” Stella squealed as she hugged her cousins. 

Anna smiled as she let her go.  “Daddy said that all of you were here and Hattie just got out of school, so we decided to take a spur of the moment vacation.  John had said something the last time I’d talked to him about needing Hattie to come whenever she could, too,” she explained…and then looked up at me at the top of the stairs.  “We didn’t realize that you guys had other company, though.”

The three girls’ eyes went up to me as I started down the steps. 

“Come here, Emmy!” Stella said, holding out her hand for mine before she turned to smile at them.  “Anna, Hattie, I want you to officially meet Emmy Alexander.  Emmy, these are my cousins, Anna and Hattie.”

“Hi,” Hattie smiled shyly, her Southern accent just about as strong as Stella’s.  She held a large, leather-bound book in her arms, one that looked a few hundred years old. 

“Nice to finally meet you,” Anna smiled also, but her eyes were on my scars.  “So sorry to hear about the accident.”

“Anna!” Stella hissed through her teeth.  “Don’t.”

“No, it’s okay,” I said, shaking my head.  “Sure, I can’t remember some stuff, but I’ve got plenty of people to tell me everything, right?  And I’m starting to not mind the scars, which is something for me since I’ve had a habit of trying to cover them up.”

“It’s good to have a supportive group of people around you then, huh?”

“Definitely.”

Stella was glaring at her, but instantly shifted expressions as she smiled. 

“Come on, you three, and let’s go get breakfast with everyone else,” she clapped before looping her arms through Hattie’s, obviously giving the cold shoulder to Anna.  She looked back at me when I didn’t follow.  “Are you coming, Em?”

I shook my head.  “No, you guys go ahead.  I’m not really hungry, but I’ll see you guys at lunch later, okay?”

Her eyebrows furrowed in concern.  “Are you okay?  Did something happen…?”

“I’m fine.  Promise.  It’s just…a lot’s happened in the last few days, you know?  I just need some time to myself.”

She nodded, seeming to understand.  “I get you completely.  I’ll tell your mom that you just decided to go exploring around the house.”

I snorted, knowing that Mom would start worrying right whenever the words would leave her mouth.  “Yeah, sounds good.”

For some reason, even after the night before – or should I say morning? – with Elena, Stella, Jamie, and Tory, I didn’t really want to be around anyone.  Maybe it was the dream of John and I…which I ended up dreaming of again after we all went back to bed. 

So after Stella guided Anna and Hattie out of the foyer and down the hallway to the kitchen, I went off in the other direction.  I didn’t know exactly where I was headed, but I figured I’d find my way back to familiar ground whenever that time came.